1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to acid delinting of cottonseed and more particularly to disposing of the lint therefrom.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When cotton is ginned, the seed are not thoroughly cleaned but are left "fuzzy". The fuzzy cottonseed, which are an important by-product of the ginning process, are usually disposed of in one of two ways.
Most of the cottonseed have the oil extracted from them and then the residue, in the form of meal, is sold for cattle feed. Before the extraction of the oil, the seed are delinted, usually by a saw process. The lint thus removed is baled in 500 pound bales and sold through regular channels of trade. The product is known as "linters", which are normally used in various chemical processes as a source of cellulose, as well as stuffing for upholstery.
The remaining cottonseed are used for planting purposes. The cottonseed may be planted in the fuzzy condition. However, more commonly, they are delinted. One process of delinting is to saw delint them. In such case, lint is disposed of as above. The more common process of delinting cottonseed used for planting purposes is by the dry acid process. The dry acid process is a well known commercial process in which the seed are exposed to anhydrous hydrogen chloride (HCl). The seed are thereafter tumbled in a perforated drum to separate the seed and lint. The seed are then neutralized by exposure to anhydrous ammonia.
In this specification, "dry acid process" will be used to refer to this process although it is also known as the gas process.
After having rubbed the lint off the seed in the perforated tumbling drum, the lint presently customarily is blown to an incinerator where it is burned. This is a source of atmospheric polution, but burning is still permitted under polution laws of the State of Texas because no better way is known to dispose of this waste product of an essential industry.